Tacoma SWAT team fatally shoots woman who was firing at neighbors Tuesday, police say
.jpg "Tacoma police officers responded to reports of a woman firing her gun outside on Tuesday.")
Updated at 3:15 p.m.: The Tacoma Police Department SWAT team shot and killed a woman during a standoff Tuesday morning.
Tacoma police officers were dispatched at 7:21 a.m. at the 4000 block of South Bell Street for reports of a woman pointing her gun and firing shots at her neighbors. Officers were advised that the woman had mental health issues and officers had responded to her home in the past, according to a Pierce County Force Investigation Team news release.
Officers contained her home and tried to speak with the woman. She eventually came out and pointed a gun at officers before going back inside. Tacoma police called for the SWAT team to assist and have negotiators speak to the woman, the release said.
The SWAT team fired shots at 9:41 a.m., and officers tried to provide aid. They also called for priority medical aid, the release said.
The 61-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
PCFIT was called to investigate the shooting and an investigation is ongoing, the release said.
This is the first homicide in Tacoma this year.
Previous story: A law enforcement unit that investigates police shootings was called to the scene of a confrontation between Tacoma police and an armed woman Tuesday.
The incident began when Tacoma police officers were dispatched at 7:30 a.m. to the 4000 block of South Bell Street. A woman was allegedly firing her gun outside. After arriving, officers contained the scene. At about 9:30 a.m., an “officer-involved shooting” occurred, according to the Tacoma Police Department on X.
All officers are reported to be OK. The Pierce County Force Investigation Team will be responding and investigating the incident, the post said.
It is unclear why the woman was firing her gun before officers arrived. There has not been confirmation if the woman fired at police officers when they were at the scene.
Police have not confirmed the status of the woman involved in the shooting. There also has not been confirmation whether police shot the woman.
This story was originally published January 9, 2024 at 11:39 AM.
